I crowdsourced student advice on how to make the most of remote learning.

#1 answer? Prioritize mental health.

Here's a thread full of their tips for managing academic stress. 1/

Keep a to-do list up to date. Schedule study time, getting some work out of the way each day. If you don’t feel like studying, try to do something else on your list, like reaching out to friends or family members elsewhere. 2/

Schedule exercise, meditation, lazy hours, or even a lazy day. You deserve it. 3/

If you’re in a location where movement outside is unsafe or discouraged, look for some bodyweight routines or yoga online. (People seem to like Yoga with Adriene on YouTube.) 4/

Be mindful of school friends who are now dispersed, separated entirely from classmates. They may feel especially isolated. Remember that the pandemic varies in virulence around the world rn. 5/

If you’re attending synchronous classes scheduled in another time zone (i.e., if you’re up for a class in the middle of the night), see if you can plan regular naps. 6/

Take a walk between classes if you can. If you’re able to stream class to your phone, try walking while you’re in class or to review pre-recorded material. Stand up for every other class if you’re scheduled back to back. 7/

Stay social: Host group study events or informal recitations if discussion time has evaporated. Zoom friends to trial run presentations. Hold film screenings with a simultaneous or subsequent Zoom chat or using the Netflix Party function (if available to all). 8/

Instead of typing notes, write them longhand, and then organize them later in electronic form. Put your phone away during class if it's not your primary device. 9/

Calibrate expectations by communicating frequently with your professors. Use virtual office hours to let them know if new routines aren't working or something else might work better. This is new for them too. 10/

Let yourself off the hook. Your professors too.

Remember, we’re in this together. We all have friends and family scattered around the globe, some in precarious situations. The community we maintain now will be the one we return to when "normal" life resumes. /end